Warhammer 40,000: Imperium was Hachette Partworks' first 40k magazine, and the one that set out to teach the whole hobby. It ran for 90 issues from August 2021 to May 2023. Over that run it built a large Necron force against a combined Imperial one of Primaris Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus and Adepta Sororitas. It also brought in the paints, brushes and scenery to finish them. Where the later Combat Patrol magazine was mostly plastic, Imperium was a hobby course. That makes it the partwork a paint-first hobbyist should understand best.
We haven't subscribed to Imperium. Our first-hand experience is with Combat Patrol. The figures below come from the published issue record and our own catalogue. Imperium's record rests on a single fan source, FauxHammer's issue-by-issue contents list. We found no official Hachette issue pages for it, so every issue in our record is marked medium confidence.
The short answer
Was Imperium worth it? For the models, yes. We can price 35 of the 53 miniature releases against the RRP of the same kit today. Those 46 issues cost £413.54 at cover price, against £984.49 of RRP. That's £570.95 saved, or 58.0%, and none of the 35 releases costs more than the models inside it.
Can you still subscribe? No. The UK run's issue 90 came out in May 2023. What's left is back issues and part-collections, which turn up often because plenty of subscribers stopped part-way.
What should you skip? The 24 paint, brush and scenery issues. If you're buying back issues, also skip the single-model issues that give you one model from a three-model kit. We explain why below.
What was it?
- Run: in the UK, issue 1 on 25 August 2021 and issue 90 on 24 May 2023.
- Armies: Necrons against Primaris Space Marines, with Adeptus Mechanicus and Adepta Sororitas added to the Imperial side. Roboute Guilliman, Marneus Calgar and Inquisitor Kyria Draxus come near the end.
- Scenery: Munitorum Armoured Containers, a Haemotrope Reactor, Ruined Factorum walls and Thermic Plasma Conduits, spread across the run.
- Premium tier: four extra armies for premium subscribers (see premium sets).
- Price: £2.99 for issue 1, £5.99 for issue 2, then £8.99. A kit split across two or three issues cost £8.99 for each part.
The paints and brushes came with it
Unlike Combat Patrol, Imperium put paints and brushes into the model issues from the start. Issue 2 came with a Starter Brush and a pot of Runelord Brass. Issue 3 added Macragge Blue, issue 4 Leadbelcher and issue 6 Abaddon Black. After that, paint-only issues kept adding more: Retributor Armour, Corax White and Mechanicus Standard Grey in issue 7, then shades, technicals and textures. Follow it from the start and you don't just end up with two armies. You end up with a working Citadel paint collection and the brushes to use it.
For a complete beginner, that was the appeal. You never faced a shopping list of paints, because the magazine sent them in the order you needed them.
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Every issue and what's inside
Kit names link to their pages on this site, which show every shop we track that sells them in your market. Paint names link to each pot's page. A range like 86-88 is one kit split across the issues in it, and you need every part.
Issues 1-45
Issues 46-90
| Issue | Contents |
|---|---|
| 46 | 3 Battle Sisters, 2 Seraphim, a Sister Repentia and an Arco-flagellant |
| 47 | Pink Horror, Wild Rider Red |
| 48 | Ruined Factorum |
| 49 | Penitent Engine, an Arco-flagellant, 2 Sisters Repentia, a Seraphim Superior, a Repentia Superior and 4 Battle Sisters |
| 50 | The Royal Court: Canoptek Reanimator, Skorpekh Lord, Plasmancer, 2 Cryptothralls |
| 51 | Dawnstone, Pallid Wych Flesh |
| 52-53 | Triarch Stalker |
| 54 | 3 Battle Sisters, 2 Seraphim, a Sister Repentia and an Arco-flagellant |
| 55 | Thermic Plasma Conduits |
| 56 | Administratum Grey, Balor Brown |
| 57 | 1 Tomb Blade |
| 58 | 1 Canoptek Wraith |
| 59-60 | 3 Outriders |
| 61 | 1 Tomb Blade |
| 62 | Calgar Blue, Evil Suns Scarlet |
| 63 | 3 Infiltrators, a Suppressor and an Eliminator |
| 64 | 5 Deathmarks |
| 65 | Lieutenant in Phobos Armour, 4 Infiltrators, a Suppressor and an Eliminator |
| 66 | 3 Infiltrators, a Suppressor and an Eliminator |
| 67 | White Scar, Tesseract Glow |
| 68 | 1 Canoptek Wraith |
| 69-70 | Marneus Calgar with Victrix Honour Guard |
| 71-72 | Lychguard / Triarch Praetorians |
| 73 | Lokhust Heavy Destroyer |
| 74 | Firestrike Servo-turret |
| 75 | Haemotrope Reactor |
| 76 | Primaris Invader ATV |
| 77-78 | Annihilation Barge / Catacomb Command Barge with Overlord |
| 79-80 | Roboute Guilliman |
| 81-83 | 3 Paragon Warsuits, one an issue |
| 84 | Skitarii Marshal |
| 85 | Hexmark Destroyer |
| 86-88 | Redemptor Dreadnought |
| 89 | Inquisitor Kyria Draxus |
| 90 | Illuminor Szeras |
The real savings, in numbers
The method is the one from our Combat Patrol record: what the issues cost against the retail price of what's inside. The difference is that Imperium's figures use each kit's RRP in our catalogue today, which is the fair test for anyone buying back issues now. A part-kit counts as that share of the kit, so one Tomb Blade from a three-model kit counts as a third.
| Cover price | Kit RRP today | Saved | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 35 priced miniature releases, 46 issues | £413.54 | £984.49 | £570.95 (58.0%) |
| The other 18 miniature releases, 20 issues | £170.80 | not priced | see below |
| The 24 paint, brush and scenery issues | £215.76 | n/a | the part to skip |
| All 90 issues | £800.10 |
The 18 releases we don't price are mostly starter-set models: the Indomitus sprues in the early issues, and mixed Sororitas and Phobos sprues. None of those was ever a retail kit. The Primaris Captain (5) is exclusive to Imperium. A few others, like the Immortals, Deathmarks, Overlord, Lychguard and Marneus Calgar, are awaiting a decision on which kit we list they correspond to. That includes the Royal Court (50): the Indomitus set is recorded, but the match to a kit we list isn't firm.
The big wins are the large kits and characters:
- Redemptor Dreadnought (86-88): £26.97 against £52.00 RRP.
- Roboute Guilliman (79-80): £17.98 against £46.50.
- Illuminor Szeras (90): £8.99 against £39.50.
- Skorpekh Destroyers (4): £8.99 against £41.50.
- Flayed Ones (15): £8.99 against £37.00.
The weak issues are the single models from three-model kits. The Kataphron Destroyers (32, 39, 40), Tomb Blades (36, 57, 61) and Canoptek Wraiths (45, 58, 68) each give you a third of a kit for one issue.
That's £8.99 for a third of a kit worth £13.17 to £13.83 at RRP.
That's still a saving, but a small one. For a back-issue buyer, three issues bought separately can easily cost more than the retail kit once postage is added.
The premium sets
Premium subscribers got four extra armies, delivered with issues 15, 33, 51 and 69. FauxHammer lists them as Chaos Space Marines, Tyranids, T'au and Orks, but that reading comes from promotional images, and we haven't confirmed the contents or mapped them to kits. The Ork set is also listed with three green paints. Treat the premium contents as unverified until you see a listing's photos.
Imperium or a Combat Patrol?
Imperium's armies overlap with Combat Patrol boxes we list, which is useful if you want to finish a force quickly:
- Necrons: 3 Skorpekh Destroyers with a Plasmacyte (issue 4) and 10 Necron Warriors (9-10) are in the Necron Combat Patrol. That's three issues for two of its four kits.
- Adeptus Mechanicus: the 10 Skitarii (21-22) are in the Adeptus Mechanicus Combat Patrol.
- Adepta Sororitas: the Canoness (42) is in the Sororitas Combat Patrol.
- Space Marines: the Outriders (59-60) and Assault Intercessors (13, 16) are in the White Scars Combat Patrol.
A back issue or two is the cheap way to add a unit, but a Combat Patrol box is usually the quicker way to a whole army. Every Combat Patrol, priced in your market, is on the Combat Patrol boxes page.
Buying back issues
The subscription has ended, so it's back issues now. There are two things to know:
- Specialist stock is thin. Most copies now change hands on eBay.
- Part-collections are everywhere. Lots of people started Imperium, got a dozen issues in and stopped. Incomplete runs sell cheaply, often with the bundled paints included.
The second point is where many readers will actually meet Imperium. They've inherited or bought a half-finished collection and want to know what's in it. The tables above tell you.
At the one UK specialist retailer we checked, there was a single Imperium listing.
Back issues, one by one
| Issue | What's in it | Cover price | Retail value | Saving | Buy the back issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Issue 1 | 1x Necron Royal Warden, 1x Primaris Lieutenant | £2.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 2 | 3x Necron Warriors | £5.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 3 | 3x Assault Intercessors | £8.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 4 | £8.99 | £41.50 | £32.51 (78.3%) | — not listed | |
Issue 5 | 1x Primaris Captain (Imperium exclusive) | £8.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 6 | 3x Aggressors | £8.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 7 | Paint & accessory issue Retributor Armour, Corax White, Mechanicus Standard Grey | £8.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 8 | 1x Necron Overlord | £8.99 | not priced | — | — not listed |
Issue 9–10 | £17.98 | £33.50 | £15.52 (46.3%) | — not listed | |
Issue 11 | £8.99 | £26.00 | £17.01 (65.4%) | — not listed |
Since the subscription ended, eBay is where the back issues and part-collections are. Job lots often include the bundled paints.
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Painting an Imperium collection
Whether you followed it from issue 1 or picked up a job lot, the paint question is the same: which colours do you actually need, and can you get them cheaper? Each army below has a starting recipe, with the most widely owned brands first: Vallejo, Citadel, then The Army Painter.
- Got the magazine's paint guide but not all the pots? The paint matcher finds the closest match from Vallejo, The Army Painter or any brand you already own.
- Want a scheme the magazine didn't cover, like your own chapter or a different dynasty? The scheme generator will build a full recipe.
- New to all of it? Start with how to start painting miniatures.
Necrons
Silver or gunmetal, a black wash, and a green glow on the weapons. See the Necron painting guide.
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Ultramarines and Primaris Space Marines
Blue armour, a blue shade in the recesses and a lighter blue for the edges. See the Ultramarines guide.
Vallejo
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Army Painter
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Adeptus Mechanicus
Mars red robes over dark metal. See the Adeptus Mechanicus guide.
Vallejo
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Army Painter
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Adepta Sororitas
Black armour, red robes and pale parchment. See the Adepta Sororitas guide.
Vallejo
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Army Painter
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
These are the colours from the paint-only issues that a part-collection is most likely to be missing:
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
Imperium or Combat Patrol magazine?
If you're choosing between Hachette's two 40k partworks, both have ended, so you're choosing between back issues:
- Imperium builds two large forces (Necrons against the Imperium), bundles paints, brushes and scenery, and teaches from the first issue. It's best for a complete beginner who wants the whole hobby in one run.
- Combat Patrol covers nine factions, each as a Combat Patrol, and is almost all models. It's best for someone who knows which army they want and only needs the plastic.
For anything newer, Hachette's current Warhammer partwork is Spearhead, which is Age of Sigmar, not 40k.
Verdict
Imperium is still the most complete beginner's partwork there has been: two forces, scenery, and the paints and brushes to finish them, at 58.0% under today's UK RRP (at UK cover prices) for the 35 miniature releases we can price. The catches are that it has ended, that the single-model issues are weak value on their own, and that, as always, the paints are the part you can buy more cheaply elsewhere. Buy the big-kit and character issues, pick up part-collections cheaply, and match the magazine's paints to cheaper equivalents.
Imperium magazine FAQ
How many issues of Warhammer Imperium were there?
In the UK, 90, from August 2021 to May 2023.
Can I still subscribe to Imperium?
No. The collection has finished, so it's back issues and part-collections only.
Which armies does Imperium build?
Necrons against Primaris Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus and Adepta Sororitas, with Guilliman, Calgar and Kyria Draxus late in the run.
Where do these figures come from?
The contents come from FauxHammer's Imperium contents list, which is the only source we found. There are no official issue pages to check it against. The savings use Hachette's UK cover prices and the RRPs in our catalogue today, and the arithmetic is our own, done the same way as for Combat Patrol. We never convert pounds into another currency and call it a local price.
Shop paints for an Imperium collection
Match the magazine's paint guides to cheaper equivalents and fill the gaps in one order.
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